AN ACT relating to health care related programs for prisoners.
Amend KRS 441.045 relating to jails to make technical change; amend KRS 441.053 relating to local jail operations to require jail medical programs to operate at or below the Kentucky Medicaid rate for similar services; prohibit certain conflicts of interest; create a new section of KRS 205.510 to 205.630 to require Medicaid providers to provide services to prisoners at or below Medicaid rates; specify that services to prisoners do not come from Medicaid funds.

SCS/LM/CI - Retain existing provisions of amendment to KRS 441.045 except to add a new subsection to specify that all payments for necessary medical, dental, and psychological care, except for federal agencies and prisoners who can pay for the costs, which relate to state or county reimbursement shall be reimbursed at an amount not to exceed the Medicaid rate but that a lower cost may be negotiated; amend KRS 441.053 with regard to conflict of interest provisions to add "managing claims or" to the existing proposal; make technical correction in proposed subsection (7) to clarify that a lower rate of reimbursement than Medicaid is not required but is permitted; delete section 3 which would have required Medicaid providers to provide care at Medicaid rates for correctional facilities and jails.

SFA (1, R. Stivers II) - Clarify which prisoners to whom the established Medicaid rate is to be made applicable.

HCA (1, J. Tilley) - Amend to include provisions to prevent a correctional officer from releasing a person from custody to receive medical treatment, to require that if the person in custody is taken to a facility for treatment that a correctional officer remain with the person while treatment is being given, and to provide that the local correctional facility is not responsible for medical treatment given to a person released under a court order except where the purpose of the order of release is to allow the person to obtain treatment.

Feb 5-introduced in Senate
Feb 9-to Judiciary (S)
Feb 26-reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute
Feb 27-2nd reading, to Rules
Mar 4-floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute
Mar 5-posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 5, 2009; 3rd reading, passed 33-0 with Committee Substitute, floor amendment (1) ; received in House
Mar 6-to Judiciary (H); posted in committee
Mar 9-taken from committee; 1st reading; returned to Judiciary (H)
Mar 10-taken from committee; 2nd reading; returned to Judiciary (H)
Mar 11-reported favorably, to Rules with committee amendment (1) ; posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 12, 2009